Hürriyet dismisses Sabah newspaper claims over ByLock story

ISTANBUL

Daily Hürriyet has excoriated the pro-government Sabah newspaper for insinuating that a recent interview in the former with the rights holder for an app allegedly used by the Gülenists was part of a “joint operation carried out” by the group and the CIA.

“This is slander that will take its place in Turkey’s media history with its inappropriateness,” said the statement published on the daily’s official website on Oct. 27.

Sabah’s story claimed that during her visit to the United States last week, Hürriyet Chairwoman Vuslat Doğan Sabancı was contacted by David Keynes, the patent holder of the ByLock app who was interviewed by Hürriyet. The daily said the claim was “a big lie.”

The statement concluded that Hürriyet would initiate all necessary legal proceedings to refute this “groundless story.”

On Oct. 16, prominent Hürriyet reporter İsmail Saymaz interviewed Keynes in New York, unearthing details about the creation of the app, which has prompted a number of indictments and paved the way for numerous trials in the aftermath of the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey.

On Oct. 26, Saymaz was called as a witness to provide testimony to an Istanbul prosecutor as part of ongoing investigations into the Gülen movement.

In his testimony, Saymaz said he wanted to conduct the interview because ByLock was regarded as the “most important evidence” that would enlighten probes into the Güelnist organization. 

“We acted based on the idea that we have found the clearest, strongest and most concrete evidence concerning this link. We confirmed first-hand that ByLock has been used as an organizational communication means. Therefore unlike as claimed, we have made a big contribution to the probe,” said Saymaz.